7HouseCleaningSecretsofthePros

House cleaning is a chore that takes you hours to complete. So you call a cleaning professional to do the task for you, and … BAM!—they zoom right through the task.

Ever wonder how? Us, too. So we got the inside scoop (and some top-secret tricks) on their house cleaning process. If you have the budget and want to save some time, you can hire a cleaning service. But here are some great tips on how you can clean your house as fast as they do.

1. Efficiently remove soap scum

That soap scum that’s such a pain to remove? Scrape it off with a plastic putty knife. It will take half the time it would take to rub it off with a sponge.

To prevent future build up, switch to synthetic liquid or gel soaps, which are less likely to form scum than bar soaps. It will save you from future scum-scraping—and you’ll still come out squeaky clean after a shower.

2. Quickly dust

Cloths remove dust okay, but you can save a lot of time with a feather duster. These dusters are really efficient—especially for cleaning blinds, pictures and hard-to-reach areas.

They’re also great for routine dusting or to quickly clean a room before company comes.

If you have heavy dust buildup, you may need to use a cloth or vacuum; otherwise, it’s a quick, effective approach to get that light film off of surfaces.

3. Get shiny stainless steel

While stainless steel is beautiful, efficient and stain-resistant, it’s also quick to show smudges and fingerprints. One way to clean and maintain it is by pouring mineral oil on a cloth and wiping it across your countertops, sinks and other surfaces.

Mineral oil repels water and increases resistance—preventing sticky materials from attaching to the steel and cutting down on your future house cleaning time.

4. Remove smells from the disposal

To quickly clean a smelly disposal, drop lemon or orange peels down the drain. Run the disposal for 15 seconds with the water going at half-pressure, then drop some ice cubes in the disposal and turn it on again. Turn off the disposal, put the stopper over it and fill up your sink until it’s about half-full. Pull out the stopper and let the water flush out the disposal for a fresh scent.

5. Streak-proof your windows

A paper towel and window cleaner doesn’t always cut it. If your windows are small, use newspaper to clean the glass and avoid streaks.

If your windows are particularly large, the best approach is to use a squeegee. This cuts down on time and helps you reach the edges where a lot of dust can build up.

6. Vacuum in half the time

To cover the most amount of carpeting in the least amount of time, utilize the central outlet in your home. By plugging your vacuum cleaner into the central outlet, you save time on re-plugging it … time you can spend continuing to vacuum.

If your vacuum has a particularly short cord, add an extension cord and hold it as you vacuum to avoid sucking it up.

7. Make use of magic erasers!

Magic erasers are considered “magical” because they can clean almost any surface, from floor to ceiling. Magic erasers can be used on laminate, tile and wood—and they can get rid of everything from stains to grime to crayon marks. Using magic erasers can sometimes slash your cleaning time in half, if not more.

These are a few of the many tricks cleaning pros use to get through your house in a flash. By adding them to your own house cleaning routine, you’ll spend less time working on your home and more time just enjoying it.